SB 29: "An Act establishing the position of regional seafood development coordinator in the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 29 01 "An Act establishing the position of regional seafood development coordinator in the 02 Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 16.51.080 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 05 (b) The executive director may, with the approval of the board, select and 06 employ a regional seafood development coordinator. The regional seafood 07 development coordinator is in the exempt service under AS 39.25.110. The regional 08 seafood development coordinator shall, in conjunction with the commissioner of 09 commerce, community, and economic development, assist in and encourage the 10 formation of qualified regional seafood development associations under AS 44.33.065 11 and shall provide assistance and advice to qualified regional seafood development 12 associations regarding the development and operation of regional seafood 13 development programs. 14 * Sec. 2. AS 44.33.065(a) is amended to read:
01 (a) The Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, 02 in conjunction with the regional seafood development coordinator of the Alaska 03 Seafood Marketing Institute, shall assist in and encourage the formation of a 04 qualified regional seafood development association for each seafood development 05 region identified in (b) of this section for the purpose of promoting and marketing 06 Alaska seafood products harvested in the region. The commissioner shall designate 07 the first organization to apply and qualify under this subsection for recognition as the 08 qualified association for a region to be the qualified regional seafood development 09 association for that seafood development region if the commissioner determines that 10 the organization 11 (1) is established for the following purposes: 12 (A) promotion of seafood and seafood by-products that are 13 harvested in the region and processed for sale; 14 (B) promotion of improvements to the commercial fishing 15 industry and infrastructure in the seafood development region; 16 (C) establishment of education, research, advertising, or sales 17 promotion programs for seafood products harvested in the region; 18 (D) preparation of market research and product development 19 plans for the promotion of seafood and their by-products that are harvested in 20 the region and processed for sale; 21 (E) cooperation with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute 22 and other public or private boards, organizations, or agencies engaged in work 23 or activities similar to the work of the organization, including entering into 24 contracts for joint programs of consumer education, sales promotion, quality 25 control, advertising, and research in the production, processing, or distribution 26 of seafood harvested in the region; 27 (F) cooperation with commercial fishermen, fishermen's 28 organizations, seafood processors, the Alaska Fisheries Development 29 Foundation, the Fisheries Industrial Technology Center, state and federal 30 agencies, and other relevant persons and entities to investigate market 31 reception to new seafood product forms and to develop commodity standards
01 and future markets for seafood products; 02 (2) provides for representation of commercial fishing permit holders 03 for each fishery in the region that is subject to a seafood development tax levied under 04 AS 43.76.350 - 43.76.399 on the board of directors of the organization; 05 (3) provides for membership in the organization by any commercial 06 fisherman who holds a commercial fishing permit for a fishery that is conducted in the 07 region and by other persons and groups in the region who wish to be members of the 08 organization; and 09 (4) is organized as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the state 10 for the purpose of marketing and promoting seafood products taken in the region and 11 seafood products taken in fisheries subject to a seafood development tax levied under 12 AS 43.76.350 - 43.76.399.